February 10, 2021
USADF and the Government of Mauritania Announce $20 Million Co-funding Partnership to Benefit Vulnerable Communities
Nouakchott, Mauritania
The U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF) and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania have announced a five-year $20 million partnership.
Under the partnership, USADF and Mauritania’s Ministry of Rural Development each intend to contribute up to $10 million over five years to carry out projects for the development of agriculture, livestock production, and non-timber forestry products and to increase access to renewable energy for the development of other sectors throughout Mauritania.
This financial investment represents the two parties’ strategic interest and focus on expanding access to markets for smallholder farmers and producer groups and enhancing food security and energy access for vulnerable communities.
The Memorandum of Understanding signing in Nouakchott was attended by USADF President and CEO C.D. Glin (virtually), Mauritania Minister of Rural Development Dy Ould Zein, and U.S. Ambassador to Mauritania Michael Dodman.
“It is truly my honor to cement USADF’s partnership with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania,” said C.D. Glin, USADF President and CEO. “Under this new co-funding partnership, USADF and the Ministry of Rural Development will jointly provide funds to expand upon the progress USADF has made with local communities. Fundamentally, this co-funding collaboration seeks to positively impact individual farmers, organizations, and grassroots communities by creating jobs, increasing incomes, growing revenues, and improving Mauritanian lives and livelihoods.”
“This five-year partnership constitutes a new level of collaboration between Mauritania and the USA, particularly in the rural development sector, to promote the fight against poverty and food insecurity in rural communities,” offered Minister of Rural Development Dy Ould Zein. “This agreement will be carried out as a model of cooperation in terms of projects, impact, and assessments, and I hope that we will continue to increase the funding in the years to come in order to meet the needs of the country.”
Over the last decade in Mauritania, USADF has awarded over $10 million in grant funding to more than 105 local enterprises. These efforts have helped improve the lives and livelihoods of approximately 231,000 people in Mauritania.
“I continue to be so impressed with the work USADF is doing here,” stated Michael Dodman, U.S. Ambassador to Mauritania. “It is great the Mauritanian government is putting its own funds into building the sort of sustainable partnership the U.S. government (USG) would like to see. While I hope we will see much more USG engagement here, there remains an important role for USADF to play in supporting smaller, community-based projects.”
Ove the past several years, USADF has focused on securing strategic partnerships with African governments which has allowed it to maximize impact and reach throughout the Sahel, Horn, and Great Lakes regions in Africa. Over the next five years, African governments collectively have pledged $50 million for USADF to implement grassroots development projects and create pathways to prosperity in their countries.
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About the United States African Development Foundation (USADF)
USADF is an independent U.S. government agency established by Congress to invest directly in African grassroots enterprises and social entrepreneurs. USADF's investments increase incomes, revenues, and jobs by promoting self-reliance and market-based solutions to poverty. USADF creates pathways to prosperity for marginalized populations and underserved communities in the Sahel, Great Lakes, and the Horn of Africa. To learn more, please visit www.usadf.gov.
About the Mauritanian Ministry of Rural Development
The general mission of the Ministry of Rural Development (MDR) is to design, execute, monitor, and evaluate the Government of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania's policies in the field of rural development.